African American Women in Rochester | NeMLA | March 15-18, 2012

This panel explores modes of self-representation of African American women living in Rochester, New York. For example, Harriet Jacobs, Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman resided in the Rochester area roughly concurrently; however, each approached telling her story distinctively. Truth promoted abolition through her portraits and public speaking. Tubman gave performances. Jacobs published an autobiography. The panel considers how gender, class and race shape the forms in which African American women in Rochester represent themselves, especially non-linguistic forms such as music or visual art. Papers on women from any era are welcome.

Please send 250-word abstracts by September 30, 2011 to jennifer.sieck[at]gmail.com.